Ariel (moon) (original) (raw)

Ariel

Discovery
Discovered by William Lassell
Discovered in 1851
Orbital characteristics
Mean radius 190,900 km
Perihelion
Aphelion
Eccentricity
Orbital period 2.52 days
Inclination °
Satellite of Uranus
Physical characteristics
Equatorial diameter 1160 km
Surface area 4,200,000 km2
Mass kg
Mean density g/cm3
Surface gravity m/s2
Escape velocity km/s
Rotation period 2.52 days
Axial tilt °
Albedo
Surface temperature minmeanmax K K K
Atmospheric pressure 0 kPa

Ariel is a moon of Uranus discovered in 1851 by William Lassell. Its composition is roughly 50% water ice, 30% silicate rock, and 20% methane ice, and it appears to have regions of fresh frost in places. Largely devoid of impact craters, Ariel appears to have undergone a period of intense geological activity that has produced a huge network of fault canyons and liquid water outflows over its surface.